Appealing to Memory
by Undercityrezident
Summary: Almost two years since Jessie last took the stage as Jessilina, the red-haired part-time coordinator finds herself unusually nervous. But Jessie doesn't get nervous... does she? James and Meowth know the answer, and take action to ensure her to return to the spotlight is one that she can be proud of! But, will her time away from contests be her downfall? Rocketshipping, one-shot.


**A/N: **An AU-ish event based on an RP I'm participating in. Here, we have Jessie once again taking on the mantle of one of her personae: Jessilina. The Wallace Cup in this scenario is taking place in Unova as a stage for promoting the competitions to establish Unova's own developing Contest Circuit. In the meantime, coordinators from all over the regions are coming to participate, and Jessilina is one of them. However, she's not competed in some time due to her duties as a member of Team Rocket. Now she's up for her appeal round. Has she lost her talent for coordinating, can she pick it back up from where she left off?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own pokemon, any characters or associated properties, nor any references within this work of fiction.

* * *

**Appealing to Memory**

Jessie stood just off-stage, awaiting her cue to glide effortlessly into the arena and into view of the swaths of fans that had come the world over to watch the Wallace Cup. Millions more would be watching on television. The Wallace Cup was a big enough event on its own. The fact it was the first contest to ever be held in Unova only bolstered the audience's size in both physical presence and by digital signals. It was enough to make anyone nervous. Even Jessie.

Her confidence always soared when she donned her contest regalia. Her almost doll-like dress, pigtails adorned by sweet yellow bows, and oddly cute, rounded glasses made her feel like a superstar; even more so than usual. But she hadn't competed in a contest in such a long time. Team Rocket had exponentially increased their operations in distant regions, and they had become a very important asset in first-contact scenarios with rival organizations and potential targets. Kalos was their latest target, along with the consistent goal of catching Pikachu. Of course the little rodent had served as their excuse to detour to Unova briefly for the Contest.

Upon hearing of all the old contest rivals that had taken time from their schedule to attend, she couldn't say no. She had swapped outfits faster than she ever had before (a fairly high standard considering Jessie), and she immediately registered. But now that she stood here, awaiting the moment of truth, she had doubts. Jessie had doubts. She would've dismissed the notion as silly any time before this. But for some reason, Jessie's apprehension was getting the better of her.

"Jess, you okay dere? You're lookin' a liddle pale."

Jessie snapped her gaze away from the stage that would soon be meant for her, and gazed down at the pint-sized feline who posed the question. She squashed her concerns momentarily in favour of maintaining her ever present veneer of superiority and growled in response, "I'm fine, Meowth! I've done this before! No way I'm losing in the appeal round. I plan on winning this whole thing after all!"

"He's right you know," the smooth, but slightly worried voice of James chimed in, "You don't look the same way you usually do before you go into a contest. Heck, you don't look the same as you did in the waiting room ten minutes ago." James, a short distance from her, was scanning her from head to toe as he seemingly analyzed the woman. He knew her like no other, and could tell when she was nervous. Her posture was off, her skin was a more pallid shade of white, and she kept tapping her feet in an eccentric fashion. Of course, the biggest giveaway was that her face wasn't the nearly overconfident expression that usually dominated it. Where only seconds ago a half-baked visage of determination that easily gave way to her shaking nerves was on display, only an expression of annoyance made its home there now.

"I'm fine! Back off!" Jessie bit, the sheer force causing James to stumble back. The act caused his half-moon spectacles to flop back from his face, tumbling over his head and bouncing off his make-shift ponytail that added to his own disguise. He picked them up deftly, and dusted his suit off, his face only showing his increased concern for his partner.

"Jessie, we both know it's been almost two years since you've done this. It's alright to be nervous!" James tentatively counseled.

"No! It's not!" Jessie roared, causing both Meowth and James to shrink back from her, though their feet couldn't muster the will to take a step back this time. Jessie turned back to the stage entrance and huffed, her patience wearing thin, not just from James and Meowth, but also because of the wait. It seemed the longer she had to stand there, the greater her doubts seemed to grow.

"It's not ok. I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to love doing this. You can't be afraid of doing something you love!" Jessie went on, her voice dropping from its usual vigor to a more contemplative, though still slightly aggressive tone.

"Jessie, you're still strong. You'll always be strong!" James comforted her, decided to cautiously approach her. He very gently put a hand on her shoulder as she stood facing the opposite direction from him. The contact of his palm to her ruffled fabric of her contest dress caused her to shift slightly. She had an initial impulse to shrug him off, but James continued his gentle speech, "And it's not unusual to be afraid to do what we love the most. We want to excel and show others how good we are, and how much we enjoy it. Such pressure is to be expected, and certainly nothing to be feared, nor ashamed of."

His words permeated her mind, and her natural instinct to fling James from her in favour of her own independence ebbed. She knew he was right. She wasn't going to go as far as to acknowledge it, but he was right all the same. Letting him help her was reward enough for the man after all.

"And don't worry about a thing, Jess! We'll knock 'em dead!" Meowth piped up, waving a single claw back and forth to illustrate his confidence.

"And if our assurances aren't enough Jessie, then I think this may help too," James suddenly spoke, removing his hand from her shoulder, drawing her gaze as the two team members observed James rummaging through his various pockets.

"No! It's got to be here! I was sure I- Oh thank, Arceus!" James was beginning to panic as he delved through his numerous pockets both within and outside his jacket. The breast pocket proved to be the correct choice as he retrieved the trinket which brought his relief. The object in question only served to send Jessie into a temporary shock as James held it outwards to her.

"Jessie, you remember what this is," James questioned intently, a small smile gracing his features as he both looked on Jessie and reminisced.

Jessie, despite her state, managed to nod her head stiffly.

"The Lilypad Town Contest Ribbon," he confirmed, holding the small but poignant reminder of that day long ago in Sinnoh, "I've always believed that it brought me some semblance of good luck, even with the little we do have. I want you to have that good luck in this contest Jessie."

James, with his other hand, took Jessie's seemingly frozen arm and brought it forward towards him. He put the ribbon into her palm and used both of his hands to close hers around it with the utmost care.

"Today, we're all with you Jessie. Meowth will be out there with you on the stage, and I'll be there with you through this ribbon. Remember that as a Team, you will never be alone. If you feel nervous, we will be right there with you to cheer you on to glory! All my hopes and dreams are with you right now, because I want to see you win it all! I want to see you laugh and boast as you take the title of Wallace Cup Champion from all those twerps! I want to see you do what you love and what you do best!"

James' words struck a chord deep within Jessie. He had done it on previous occasions, but never so strongly and never with such conviction. Jessie felt tears rushing from her ducts towards her eyes, and she couldn't bear for either of them to see her in such a way. She turned her face away from him and trembled. James could feel it in their still-linked hands and he couldn't help but let his smile grow. He gripped her hand slightly tighter, but the gesture was rendered moot as Jessie simply threw herself into a hug with her partner.

"James... your faith in me means so much. Thank you," she breathed into his shoulder, stifling sobs. She couldn't cry. Not now. She had to be strong. Not just for herself. Not just for the contest. But for her two best friends and teammates. She couldn't believe it, but they seemed just as invested in her success as she was. And she could never conceive that anyone would be more interested in her own rise to stardom as her own self. Yet here they stood: her two greatest supporters. Pillars of her life.

The announcement of one of the Meridian Sisters signalled Jessie's impended debut. She quickly withdrew herself from James' hug and removed her glasses, wiping away the fresh tears staining her face.

"I'll come back here a winner of the appeal round!" Jessie declared confidently, giving him another look as she held one foot at the threshold of the stage.

"There's no doubt in my mind that you will, Jess. Show them how a real coordinator performs!" James encouraged, a mixed expression of pride and happiness spreading wide over his face.

Jessie smirked as she glanced once to the audience and then back to James. She turned her gaze to the ribbon in her hand and paused. That ribbon meant a lot to James and she knew it. He had talked for days about how happy he was that he could win it for her after the fact. It was a source of great pride for him. With that in mind, she pinned the ribbon to her chest and gave James a gracious smile, "Now you'll be on stage with me!" With that last word offered to her partner, she dashed onto the stage, vibrant as the whole of the contest community had come to expect of her.

. . .

"Now here's a contestant we haven't seen in a good long while! She's known for her unusual and daring appeals! Let's see what she has for us today!" Adrienne Meridian, the Unova resident of the contest hostess family announced, "Let's hear it for Jessilina!" With that cue, Jessie to bound onto the stage, giggling and doing a short pirouette at her final location at the center of the arena.

"Meowth! Let's show them the true beauty of contests! Go!"

"MEOWTH!" the feline cried, restraining himself from uttering human speech and compromising their disguises as he leapt from seemingly out of nowhere behind Jessie.

"Night slash! On the ground!" Jessie bellowed powerfully, fully engrossed in the character of Jessilina she now embraced.

Meowth flung himself forward ahead of Jessie, claws lengthening and flashing with dark energy. Meowth's graceful movements almost resembled a strange dance as he carved markings into the dirt-laden ground of the stage. Every time Meowth glided past Jessie with his blackened claws digging into the earth, Jessie's dress billowed in the breeze of his passing. Soon, Meowth ceased, landing before Jessie in a crouch, allowing the audience to see the fruits of his labour. The residual dark energy from the attack left deep scars on the field, which pulsed with black energy and seemingly marked a great 'X' on the ground around Jessie. She stood at the center of it all, enveloped in the rising black vapours from the prolonged attack.

"Dig!" Jessie shouted, with Meowth immediately following the command, and burrowing into the earth; well practiced from the plethora of pit traps dug on their journey. Many audience members and the judges questioned this decision. No one could see Meowth, and that was certainly a very odd maneuver for an appeal.

"Now, let's ascend! Come up Meowth!"

The ground buckled beneath Jessie momentarily, and she gritted her teeth in preparation. This had been a technique they had been practicing all week for this one moment. Either this made their performance spectacular, or doomed them to failure.

Meowth burst from beneath her, putting all his strength into sending Jessie flying skyward. The dust and dark power unleashed from the erupting ground flew out in all directions, punctuating her launch, like a rocket flying into space from a great explosion. Jessie twisted her body midflight, twirling gracefully as her arms and pigtails flew outward to emphasize her wondrous appearance, laughing gleefully all the while.

"Finish it off with fury-swipes!" Jessie ordered from her lofty altitude, her voice slightly off-kilter due to the spin she was currently wrapped in.

Meowth's eyes took on a glint of focus and he crouched himself, bending his legs in preparation for the daring attack he was about to unleash. Seconds later, he bounded upwards in a leap no one thought the small cat capable of. Meowth's claws took on a pure-white glow as he approached his target: Jessie.

The audience collectively gasped as they saw the now falling Jessie and the quickly rising Meowth rapidly closing the distance between another. As they finally came within close quarters, Meowth drew back one of his paws and deftly slashed it towards one of Jessie's pigtails. Following that, Meowth curled his body and turned his jump into a somersault as he quickly passed over Jessie, finding himself on her opposite side. With his remaining readied paw, he unleashed another swipe at Jessie's other pigtail, continuing his trajectory back to earth as Jessie did the same.

At first, nothing seemed to change as she descended. However, the spin finally unveiled the object of their appeal. The yellow, bow-like ties keeping Jessie's hair in its usual form broke and her hair flowed freely. It's shimmering and red majesty billowed in the rotation of her spin, flying gracefully around her, the windswept and long locks spreading like a curtain. Jessie landed first, her hair draping around her shoulders and back, while Meowth landed second, flashing his claws in a most satisfied manner, cawing his name like any other Pokémon would. Not a single strand of red hair could be found displaced from Jessie's head, and for that she was grateful.

The crowd was stunned momentarily, and Jessie grew wary of the silence. Thankfully, the long-awaited applause burst into existence with a roar that nearly knocked her over from the sheer shockwaves of sound that echoed forth. Jessie regained her composure, not only from the sudden cheers, but from the excessive spin of her own part of the appeal.

As the crowd's cheers died down after longer than anyone thought they would last, especially with Jessilina's hit-or-miss record, Adrienne Meridian began to speak once more, "Amazing! Such a daring performance! Let's see if the judges agree with me!"

The four judges sat at their podiums, and one at a time, they began to speak.

"Jessilina has always had such trust in the precision and restraint of her pokemon. I'm glad to see that trust hasn't waned in her time away from the contest circuit. She literally took her style to new heights! Well done!" Mr. Contesta lauded happily.

"Brave and remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added, his love of the word 'remarkable' having not abated in Jessie's absence.

"I agree with Mr. Contesta. Her bond with Meowth is particularly strong, and the way they cooperated in the act is very touching!" the resident Nurse Joy remarked happily.

Wallace, not to be outdone, stood up in his utterly graceful and poised manner and spoke in an elegant voice, "A marvellous performance that show the importance of both coordinator and Pokémon. Jessilina knows how to demonstrate the appeal of her Pokémon and takes it onto herself, quite literally, to show us Meowth's many talents! My compliments to you!"

Jessie was barely able to contain herself from jumping up and down hysterically. But her reaction was still anything but subdued. She dashed straight to the still-standing Wallace and shook one of his hands with both of hers with an enthusiasm that even the water-master was unprepared for, "Thank you! Thank you! I knew you'd recognize my talent! I told you, you would, back in Sinnoh, during my last Wallace Cup! I hope to dazzle you even further with my glorious contest battles!"

Wallace, reeling from the vibrant handshake that left him momentarily dazed and with an awkward expression, replied heartily, "Of course! I'm sure you will! Now, let's let the next coordinator have their turn shall we?"

Jessie nodded determinedly, skipping off the stage as though nothing could stop her. At that moment, she honestly though nothing could. As she finally entered the enclosed space of the off-stage hallway, she flung herself onto James gleefully, crushing him with strength that he had come to know of her, but often forgot she possessed.

"I did it! As if there were any doubt! But it's good to know that I still got it! I'll never lose it, of course, but this just proves it!" she let out a very girlish giggle in his ear that, made him smile, even if his lungs were unable to draw in air.

"Yes!" he choked out, "Now, if I could breathe for a moment!" Of course this request only seemed to push Jessie in tightening her grip. He honestly wondering if any of his bones would survive this ordeal he found himself in. He discovered that a very jubilant Jessie could be just as dangerous as a very angry Jessie. The only difference was that she was barely aware of her actions whilst so ecstatic.

"You were spinnin' too fast, Jess!" an intruder's voice cried out angrily as Jessie finally released James, allowing his to take a gasping breath after his face began to turn an unhealthy blue.

"We practiced it goin' slowa! What was tha deal! Did ya want me ta chop off your hair!" the voice whined, revealing itself to be Meowth as he made his way off stage.

"It doesn't matter! You would've known the consequences if you sliced my hair off!" Jessie bellowed, even the mention of losing her hair driving her to frenzy. However, her face turned from its enraged form to one of satisfaction in the blink of an eye and she continued in a far more civil voice, "Regardless, you performed well! I don't think I'm missing even one hair from my beautiful head! So obviously it wasn't that hard."

Meowth let out a great sigh, "Yeah... wasn't hard for you! I was the one havin' ta hit the spinning targets da size of Joltiks!"

"Oh, don't worry your pretty charm about it!" Jessie countered, kneeling down to pat Meowth's head, "We did it, and I'm one hundred percent certain we're going to the next round!"

She stood up and brushed her dress off. Her almost haughty look dissipated as she looked on two teammates that had supported her through thick and thin; especially that very day.

"But you two... I do need to thank you. I wasn't the greatest going into this. I shouldn't doubt myself... because... well, I'm me," Jessie flaunted her long hair at the statement and continued, her expression softening as she gazed at Meowth, and then James, "You two are always there for me."

She unhooked the Lilypad Ribbon from her dress and held it back towards James, "I think this is yours."

James held his hands up in refusal, "No Jessie. I want you to have it. If I can't stand up there with you in person when you battle, then I want you to take a least a part of me with you."

"But James, you love this ribbon!" Jessie protested, trying to shove it at him forcefully.

James steadfastly refused the gesture however, retorting with a strong voice that had made its debut just before her appeal, "I won this ribbon for you, Jess. It's important to me. But I think it's more important to me that you have it. It would mean a lot if you do."

Jessie's expression froze into a form of confusion. James drew close to her, took the hand holding the ribbon, and piloted it to her chest. He deftly manipulated her fingers so that she pinned it on her dress once more... though James was the one who truly performed the action.

"Wear it, and win. You deserve this. We believe it. So do you," James uttered softly, causing her eyes to shoot wide open. For a moment, neither of them moved, with James' hand gripped onto hers which lay on her chest. Her heart beat loudly beneath it, and she was sure he felt it. He merely smiled broadly and with a gentle gesture, removed his hand.

"Come on, Jess. We've got to prepare for tomorrow. After all, with a performance like that, there's no way you're not moving to the battle rounds," James cockily assured her.

A devious smile made its way onto Jessie's face, and she nodded in agreement, "Hah. Let's. These twerpy coordinators won't know what hit them."

"Dat's right!" Meowth punctuated, toddling behind the two humans as they proceeded down the hallway. The Wallace Cup was far from over for the trio.

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**A/N:** Thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoyed this brief foray into writing a new ship, as well as getting to see Jessie in her element, as well as a brief moment of weakness that the rest of the Team was there to help her through.

I hope to write further works on these two. I have plans for them elsewhere, sooner or later. So if you're a fan of Rocketshipping, I hope to be able to give you another story that might pique your interest.

Until then, thanks again, and Happy Reading,

~ UndercityRezident


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